Michael Drescher

Associate Professor

Michael Drescher
Degrees

Ph.D. Ecology and Resource Conservation, Wageningen University, Netherlands, 2003

MSc Ecology, Utrecht University, Netherlands, 1998

Affiliated Faculty of the Vincent and Elinor Ostrom Workshop in Political Theory and Policy Analysis
 

Contact information

519-888-4567 ext. 48795
Location: EV3 3213

Website: http://nrcpm.weebly.com/

Academic honours

  • Affiliated Faculty at Ostrom Workshop in Political Theory and Policy Analysis, 2014 Indiana University, Bloomington, IN
  • Dissertation Fellowship, NOW-WOTRO, 2003 Netherlands
  • Marie Curie Graduate Fellowship of the European Union, 2003 European Union
  • Erasmus Scholarship of the European Union, 1994-1995 European Union

Research interests

  • Environmental conservation and natural resource use
    • Social psychology of private landowner conservation behaviours
    • Socio-economic dynamics as drivers of land use change
    • Adoption of environmental best management practices
    • Natural and cultural heritage landscape planning
  • (Near-)urban ecosystem services planning and management
    • Environmental justice and equity
    • Institutional analysis of green-blue infrastructure approaches
    • Climate change mitigation and adaptation
    • Urban ecology
  • Forest and grassland ecosystems
    • Climate change effects on ecosystem dynamics
    • Land use impacts on ecosystem dynamics
    • Urban forest restoration ecology
    • Methods and applications of alternative knowledges (epistemology)

Research grants/projects

  • Residential Development Impact Scorecard for the Environment (RISE)
    (Project Director and Lead Principal Investigator)
  • Overcoming barriers to adoption of environmental best management practices in the Ontario farm sector during times of structural change.
    (Principal Investigator, Funded by: Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs)
  • Data fusion and analysis to predict overland flow flood risk: establishing a proof of concept.
    (Co-Applicant, Funded by: UW Water Institute)
  • Townships of Wilmot and North Dumfries cultural heritage study.
    (Principal Investigator, Funded by: Region of Waterloo)
  • Building resiliency in the face of climate change: a workshop for Ontario land trusts and conservation practitioners.
    (Principal Investigator, Funded by: Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council)
  • Advancing municipal natural asset management through monitoring and engagement.
    (Principal Investigator, Funded by: Mitacs Accelerate)
  • Memories of the future: Using participatory scenarios of environmental threats to turn conservation from intent into action.
    (Principal Investigator, Funded by: UW and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council)
  • Evaluating community engagement strategies effectiveness to influence attitudes on green stormwater infrastructure.
    (Principal Investigator, Funded by: UW Partners for Action, Reep Green Solutions and City of Cambridge)
  • An exploratory study into effects of urban environments on recreational travel route choices of pedestrians: facilitators and impediments to physical activity.
    (Principal Investigator, Funded by: UW Propel Centre for Population Health Impact)
  • What motivates private landowners to conservation? A study of the effects of 'connectedness with nature' on conservation behaviour.
    (Principal Investigator, Funded by: Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council)

Contact Michael Drescher for more information on research opportunities for students.

Graduate student supervision

  Number of students currently supervising/co-supervising Total number of student supervisions/co-supervisions
Masters 2 19
PhD 4 6

Recent/key publications

[* = student co-authors]

  • Drescher, M. and Sinasac, S.* 2021. Social-psychological determinants of the implementation of green infrastructure for residential stormwater management. Environmental Management 67: 308–322.
  • Dean, J., Biglieri, S.*, Drescher, M., Garnett, A., Glover, T. and Casello, J. 2020. Thinking relationally about built environments and walkability: A study of adult walking behavior in Waterloo, Ontario. Health and Place 64: 102352.
  • Drescher, M. 2019. Urban heating and canopy cover need to be considered as matters of environmental justice. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science 116(52): 26153-26154.
  • Drescher, M., Epstein, G., Warriner, K. and Rooney, R. 2019. An Investigation of the effects of conservation incentive programs on management of invasive species by private landowners. Conservation Science and Practice 1: e56.
  • Drescher, M. and Edwards, R.C.* 2019. A systematic review of transparency in the methods of expert knowledge use. Journal of Applied Ecology 56(2), 436-449.
  • Elton, K.* and Drescher, M. 2018. Implementing wildlife-management strategies into road infrastructure in southern Ontario: a critical success factors approach. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management 62(5): 862-880
  • Drescher, M. and Brenner, J.C. 2018. The practice and promise of private land conservation. Ecology and Society 23(2):3.
  • Endicott, S*., Drescher, M. and Brenning, A. 2017. Modelling the Spread of European Buckthorn in the Region of Waterloo. Biological Invasions 19(10): 2993–3011.
  • Drescher, M., Warriner, G.K., Farmer, J.R., and Larson, B.M.H. 2017. Private landowners and environmental conservation: a case study of social-psychological determinants of conservation program participation in Ontario. Ecology and Society 22(1):44. doi.org/10.5751/ES-09118-220144
  • Farmer, J.R., Ma, Z., Drescher, M., Knackmuhs, E.G. and Dickinson, S. L. 2017. Private Landowners, Voluntary Conservation Programs, and Implementation of Conservation Friendly Land Management Practices. Conservation Letters 10: 58–66. doi:10.1111/conl.12241
  • Huang, D., and Drescher, M. 2015. Urban crops and livestock: The experiences, challenges, and opportunities of planning for urban agriculture in two Canadian provinces. Land Use Policy 43: 1-14. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2014.10.011
  • Drescher, M. 2014. Snow cover manipulations and passive warming affect post-winter seed germination: a case study of three cold-temperate tree species. Climate Research 60(3): 175-186. http://dx.doi.org/doi:10.3354/cr01237
  • Drescher, M. 2014. What is it like to take care of the land? Toward an understanding of private land conservation. Rural Society 23(2): 117–132. http://dx.doi.org/10.5172/rsj.2014.23.2.117
  • Drescher, M., Perera, A.H., Johnson, C.J., Buse, L.J., Drew, C.A., and Burgman, M.A. 2013. Toward rigorous use of expert knowledge in ecological research. Ecosphere 4(7): art83. http://dx.doi.org/10.1890/ES12-00415.1
  • Drescher, M. and Perera, A.H. 2010. Comparing two sets of forest cover change knowledge used in forest landscape management planning. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management 53: 591-613. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09640561003727110
  • Drescher, M., Heitkönig, I.M.A., Brink, P.J. van den, and Prins, H.H.T. 2006. Effects of sward structure on herbivore foraging behaviour in a South African savannah: an investigation of the forage maturation hypothesis. Austral Ecology 31: 76-87. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1442-9993.2006.01552.x

Courses taught

  • ENVS 469 - Landscape Ecology, Restoration, and Rehabilitation
  • PLAN 340 - Canadian Environmental Policy and Politics
  • PLAN 452 - Policy Analysis and Program Evaluation
  • PLAN 474 - Rural Resilience, Development and Planning
  • PLAN 704 - Methods of Planning Analysis